Seismic Response of an Existing RC Frame Building Struck by 2016 Central Italy Earthquakes

A large number of research studies have been devoted to the modelling and analysis of infilled Reinforced Concrete (RC) framed buildings under seismic actions; it is well known that infills play a significant role in the overall structural performance. The present work reports the results of the nonlinear static assessment performed on a masonry infilled RC frame building retrofitted with dissipative braces, located in the area struck by the 2016 Central Italy seismic sequence. The building is an interesting case study because it is equipped with dissipative braces and with a monitoring system; the monitoring system recorded the building response to the seismic sequence and consequently the evolution of the structural response with the progressive deterioration of the infill. Numerical analyses were performed by using nonlinear 3D models, considering both the bare and the infilled frame, in order to appraise the interaction of the infills with the RC elements and the dissipative contribution offered by the dissipative bracing system; an alternative retrofitting approach, finalized to prevent non-structural damage, according to the Bergami-Nuti procedure is finally proposed.